TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION

Whether a candidate may appoint
his daughter as his campaign treasurer. (AOR-465)

A candidate has asked whether he
may appoint his seventeen-year-old daughter as his campaign treasurer.

Every candidate must appoint a
campaign treasurer. Elec. Code § 252.001. The legal significance of a candidate’s
filing of a campaign treasurer appointment is that the filing authorizes the
candidate to accept campaign contributions and make campaign expenditures. Id.
§ 253.031(a). The fact that a candidate names an individual as a campaign
treasurer confers no authority or responsibility on that individual under Title
15 of the Election Code. A candidate, not the candidate’s campaign treasurer,
is responsible for filing reports of contributions and expenditures. Elec. Code
ch. 254, subch. C. We conclude, therefore, that a candidate may appoint any
individual as his or her campaign treasurer, including a minor.1

SUMMARY

A candidate may appoint any
individual as his or her campaign treasurer, including a minor. This rule does
not apply to the campaign treasurer of a political committee.

1 Our conclusion does not apply to the
campaign treasurer of a political committee.
The Election Code does impose various duties on the campaign treasurer of
a political committee, and the campaign treasurer of a political committee may
be held criminally or civilly liable for failure to comply with those duties.